Powered fastener driving tools are well known and commercially widely used throughout the world. Powered fastener driving tools are typically electrically powered, pneumatically powered, combustion-powered, or powder activated. Powered fastener driving tools are typically used to drive fasteners (such as nails, staples, and the like) to connect a first material, item, or workpiece to a second material, item, workpiece, or object.
Various known powered fastener driving tools typically include: (a) a housing; (b) a power source or supply assembly in, connected to, or supported by the housing; (c) a fastener supply assembly in, connected to, or supported by the housing; (d) a fastener driving assembly in, connected to, or supported by the housing; (e) a trigger mechanism partially in, connected to, or supported by the housing; and (f) a workpiece contactor or contacting element (sometimes referred to herein as a “WCE”) connected to or supported by the housing. The WCE is configured to engage or contact a workpiece and to operatively work with the trigger mechanism such that the WCE needs to be depressed or moved inwardly a predetermined distance with respect to the housing before activation of the trigger mechanism causes actuation of the power fastener driving tool.
Powered fastener driving tools typically have two different types of operational modes and one or more mechanisms that enable the operator to optionally select one of the two different types of operational modes that the operator desires to use for driving the fasteners. One operational mode is known in the industry as the sequential or single actuation operational mode. In this operational mode, the depression or actuation of the trigger mechanism will not (by itself) initiate the actuation of the powered fastener driving tool and the driving of a fastener into the workpiece unless the WCE is sufficiently depressed against the workpiece. In other words, to operate the powered fastener driving tool in accordance with the sequential or single actuation operational mode, the WCE must first be depressed against the workpiece followed by the depression or actuation of the trigger mechanism. Another operational mode is known in the industry as the contact actuation operational mode. In this operational mode, the operator can maintain the trigger mechanism at or in its depressed position, and subsequently, each time the WCE is in contact with, and sufficiently pressed against the workpiece, the power fastener driving tool will actuate, thereby driving a fastener into the workpiece.
As mentioned above, various known powered fastener driving tools are combustion-powered. Combustion-powered fastener driving tools are typically powered by a rechargeable battery pack and a replaceable and detachable fuel cell.
Two different types of combustion-powered fastener driving tools are well known. A first well known type of combustion-powered fastener driving tool is an “on-can” tool that uses a fuel cell to deliver the appropriate amount of fuel to the tool. Fuel cells configured for use with external metering valves are of the “on-can” type. A second well known type of combustion-powered fastener driving tool is an “in-can” tool that uses a fuel cell to deliver the appropriate amount of fuel to the tool. Fuel cells that have internal metering valves are of the “in-can” type.
Such fastener driving tools and fuel cells have been available commercially from ITW-Paslode of Vernon Hills, Ill. (a division of Illinois Tool Works, Inc., the assignee of this application).
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, a known fuel cell 10, a known fuel cell adapter 20, a known fuel cell cap 30 for the fuel cell 10, and a known on-can metering valve 40 are generally shown. This known and widely commercially used fuel cell 10 and fuel cell adapter 20 are configured to accommodate or work with both in-can and on-can type combustion-powered fastener driving tools. More specifically, this fuel cell 10 and known fuel cell adapter 20 can be directly used for in-can type combustion-powered fastener driving tools (such as shown in FIG. 1A), and this known adapter 20 can be removed from the fuel cell 10 to enable the fuel cell 10 to be used with the metering valve 40 for an on-can type combustion-powered fastener driving tool (such as shown in FIG. 1B, with like reference numbers referring to like parts).
Assembling this known fuel cell arrangement before packaging and sale is problematic. To attach this known fuel cell adapter 20 to the fuel cell 10, one must screw the fuel cell adapter into the sealing member 15 of the fuel cell 10. Assembly is therefore a three-part process: (1) the assembler places the bottom of the fuel cell adapter 20 into the sealing member 15; (2) the assembler rotates the fuel cell adapter 20 relative to the sealing member 15 until grooves of the sealing member 15 (not shown) receive corresponding tongues (not shown) of the fuel cell adapter 20; and (3) the assembler pushes the fuel cell adapter 20 toward the sealing member 15 while twisting the fuel cell adapter 20 relative to the sealing member 15 until the tongues reach the ends of the corresponding grooves. The assembler then places the fuel cell cap 30 over the fuel cell adapter 20 and directly attaches it to the fuel cell 10.
This manual three-step manual process is relatively time-consuming and inefficient. Further, it can be difficult for an operator to remove the fuel cell adapter 20 from the sealing member 15, such as when the assembler screws the fuel cell adapter 20 too tightly onto the sealing member 15. Additionally, while the fuel cell cap is needed for packaging and shipping, once the fuel cell cap 30 is removed, it serves no purpose and is typically thrown away.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide fuel cells and related components for combustion-powered fastener driving tools that solve these problems.